Camila Muñoz was working as a translator when she had an epiphany.

“Working as a translator in different places made me realize that, not only is English crucial for any job, but also that people are very intimidated when it comes to learning and speaking the language,” said Camila.

This is what made her decide to teach English.

"I wanted to show people that learning English can be hard at the beginning (like anything you try for the first time), but when you know the basics and how it works, you can have a lot of fun!”

Camila's been teaching for almost five years now.

She started out teaching in an in-person setting, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she moved to teaching online.

“It's been great!” she said enthusiastically. “I discovered that I could teach students from everywhere. Teaching online has been wonderful because not only does it save traveling time (and costs!), but it also allows me to use the interactive tools on the Ellii platform.”

Currently, Camila teaches English remotely from her home in Concepción, Chile.

Her students live in different cities all over the country, ranging from pre-school age to adults. Most of her students are at the beginner and intermediate levels.

Camila Muñoz is pictured here.

For Camila, a typical day of teaching starts at 9:00 am. She spends her mornings planning her afternoon and evening lessons. Once that’s done, she looks over completed homework tasks.

Lessons take place from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

“This is when I have the most fun since I get to teach and connect with my students,” she said.

How Camila uses Ellii in the classroom

Camila loves how organized Ellii is and finds the platform incredibly useful.

“I use many of the Famous Things lessons since I can decide which one to use depending on my students’ interests and they can practice the four skills when we use them," said Camila. "There are so many topics and choices. It’s truly amazing!”

Her students also really enjoy the role-play activities.

“They can have so much fun with them, and it’s great speaking practice,” she said.

Check out Camila's text response below to learn more about why she loves Ellii and how she uses it with her students.

The challenges of teaching groups

For Camila, teaching groups can be challenging.

“When it comes to group sessions, one of the major challenges is to make sure every student understands what the lesson is about," she said.

Camila admits that sometimes—especially when there are many students in the class—it’s hard for teachers to make sure everyone is able to learn.

"Since students are often embarrassed or don’t want to share their answers in front of the whole class, the challenge that we must overcome as teachers is to give our students a safe learning environment that will allow them to learn and share more,” she explained.

Camila finds that teaching young children can be just as challenging.

“Also—and especially with preschool students—it’s very challenging to keep them motivated and get their attention," she said. "Therefore, we need to find different strategies to make learning a fun and engaging experience.”

When teaching becomes a self-fulfilling experience

Despite these challenges, Camila finds being a teacher incredibly rewarding.

“I love when my adult and teenage students, who were once terrified to speak English, realize that it wasn’t that hard and that they’re able to communicate and do things," she said. "[They can] . . . enjoy their favorite TV show or listen to their favorite artists and actually understand what they are saying."

Camila says her favorite part about teaching her pre-school students is that they're like little sponges because "they soak everything up and learn super fast.”

She describes teaching English as one of the most self-fulfilling experiences she's had.

“I never thought teaching could bring me and my students so much joy," she said. "As a translator and somebody that loves language and teaching English, being able to share what I know and make it easier for others has been an amazing experience.”

Want the chance to be featured in our Teacher Feature series? Visit our 20th Anniversary Giveaway blog post to tell us why you love Ellii and how you use it in your classroom.